The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-01-22
MEXICO'S INTERIOR.
TRAVELLERS DESCRIPTION OF HOME
LIFE AMONG THE Poems.

!
LIFE AMONG THE Poems.
How Their Houses Are Bui1t-When the
Evening Comes-Diet and Cooking
Dress Of the women-Apparel of the
Men.
In the terras calientes Chot 1ands) the
children often go naked, and the grown
people wear no more clothing than their
partial civilization demands. The fat
rooted adobe house, the palm covered
cane hut or cave in the hillside serves all
the purposes of an earthly habitation for
those whose lives are passed within them.
But here in the coolest part of the republic
"a mile and half above the level or the
SIGNATURE has so elevated the country
and lowered the temperature that cloth
ing Is necessity. There is sufficient rain
to penetrate tho fat roofs and drown OUT
the cave dv-sllers, hence we find people
living above ground and under inclined
roofs Thus they have advanced by the
sheer necessity of their external surround
ings: but where nature has not acted with
compulsory force they still remain In
condition that is scarcely above that OF
the lower animals in some respect.
THE FAMILY CIRCLE
The houses are built of mud, stone and
roofs which are covered with mud mortar
about six inches deep. They seldom have
windows or any other provision for light
and ventilation except the door. We often
find large family living in one of these
rooms When the evening comes family
circle is formed around a few ancient
earthen mugs and jars which are SET on
the dirt floor; from these they take their
scant and simple meal; after which
- al
is barred, the Pickering tallow candle Is
blown out, and while the unsavory fumes
of the smoking wick is permeat1ng the
entire room the last one rettres to rest In
this dungeon home, a home then darker
than the blacklist night, as unsavory as
the dungeon of the doomed, and almost as
sickly and deadly as the black-hole OF Cal
cutta.
We see these creatures on their knees
every day and with outstretched arms
they bemoan their lot and beg of God in
his mercy to grant them more blessings,
after wfici. they HmplOy what little men
tai ana ,avsiCaI cree they possess in re-
jectiug thes, oh have already been
granted "W OILS these mortals be-"
Their diet consists of the various fruits
of the tropic, 81 oats meat, coat milk
and tertiIlas (-.. akes) made # salt and
water The Iaea ground by hand be-
tween stones similar to those used by the
ancients In place of stoves and iron
cooking utensils, they use elevated fire
places and earthen jars, which are placed
over charcoal fires. The knowledge Of
cooking among all classes Of women ID
as meager as the means used, hence the
breakfast biscuit, white loaf bread, pies,
preserves and buildings of the United
States are never seen in Mexico.
DRESS OF WOMEN.
The women wear shawls over their heads
in place of hats and bonnets and the fash
ion never changes Their feet are small
hey wear tight shoes with very high
mong the lower class plain cut,
rcd dresses are often worn, but
.E Ct e higher classes a com binatIon OF
e0, ors is preferred.
len Of every class have passionate
ness for dressed sheep, goat, or deer
SITS These are often fr1nged,
ed nd embroidered with silver. The
5l.oas are often striped down the
v-.h rows of buttons and buckles and
Wild -brimmed sombrero is often
ned With silver stars, tassels and
rounds of heavy silver cord around
crown. The poems wear very low
med wide-brimmed straw hats, and
see u coats they wear heavy wooden
ke5s winter and summer. Though
lofv u the torrid zone and to-day is
Is1h yet see the natives passing or
giaa themselves with their blankets
nd arOund them up to the nose. Moth
are uassing with their babies wrapped
lat Of sight and the men use sandals
DE place of shoes or boots. A few are
DIE ised as we find them in the United
Sta les. Thus it is the old and the new,
the high and the low are all seen at one
vieH-Zacatecas Cor Detroit Free Press